Monday, February 13, 2012

Recruiting Update: February 13, 2012

COMMITMENTS
Birmingham (MI) Seaholm offensive tackle Dan Gibbs, a class of 2012 kid, committed to Michigan as a preferred walk-on. I drew some ire for this October post that said he probably wasn't worthy of a scholarship offer, and it turns out he's a preferred walk-on, as I suggested. He's just not the kind of athlete that Michigan is recruiting at this point. (Highlights here.)

Detroit (MI) Crockett tight end Khalid Hill committed to Michigan on the spot when he got an offer. (Commitment post here.)

ADDED TO THE BOARD
St. Louis (MO) DeSmet offensive tackle Andy Bauer, a 2014 prospect, was offered on his visit to Michigan this weekend. Despite being just a high school sophomore, he is 6'5" and 290 lbs. I discussed Bauer in Friday's weekend visitor post (with highlights).

Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter's Prep cornerback Tre Bell was offered by Michigan this weekend. Bell is a 5'11", 170 lb. defender with offers from South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among others. He had 36 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 10 pass breakups, and 3 interceptions as a junior in 2011. Michigan has also pursued other St. Peter's Prep kids in recent years, such as safety D.J. Singleton (2012), running back Savon Huggins (2011), and safety Sheldon Royster (2011).

Somerville (NJ) Immaculata defensive end Tashawn Bower was offered by Michigan on Tuesday. He's a 6'5", 230-pounder with offers from Florida State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Rutgers, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia, among others.

Stockton (CA) Lincoln running back Justin Davis was offered by Michigan on Monday. He's a 6'1", 195 lb. speedster who ran for 2,599 yards and 38 touchdowns as a junior in 2011. Cal, Oklahoma, and UCLA have also extended offers.

Cypress (TX) Cypress Ranch running back Keith Ford picked up an offer from the Wolverines. He's a 5'11", 195 lb. speedster who has offers from Alabama, Florida State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech, among others. He only had 140 carries as a junior, but they went for 915 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Richmond (VA) Hermitage running back Derrick Green picked up a Michigan offer on Tuesday. He's a 6'0", 215 lb. back who reports a 4.37 time in the forty. He ran for 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior, and has been offered by Arkansas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, USC, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among others. Hermitage is the alma mater of big-time class of 2011 recruit Curtis Grant, who was pursued by Michigan but ultimately chose Ohio State.

Dallas (TX) Jesuit offensive tackle J.J. Gustafson received an offer on Tuesday. He's 6'6" and 260 lbs. with offers from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech, among others. Receiver Jake Oliver, also from Jesuit, has been offered by Michigan, too.

Tampa (FL) Wharton cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III grabbed an offer during Monday's flurry. He's a 5'11", 177 lb. with a report 4.45 forty under his belt. At the Under Armour Junior Combine in January, Rivals named him the "Most Athletic" prospect due to his forty, a 34" vertical, and a 4.12 shuttle. Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, and Ohio State have all offered. He's an early 5-star on Rivals and 247 Sports.

Richmond (VA) Varina cornerback Tim Harris was offered by Michigan on Tuesday. He claims 4.48 speed and offers from Ohio State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. Virginia is the early leader for his services. Varina is the alma mater of former Michigan running back Brandon Minor.

College Station (TX) A&M Consolidated defensive end Christian Lacouture received an offer from Michigan, despite being committed to Texas A&M. He's a 6'5", 255-pounder with offers from LSU, Missouri, and Texas Tech.

Centerville (OH) Centerville offensive tackle Evan Lisle was offered by Michigan last week. He's lean at 6'6", 265 lbs. but benches 285, which is fairly impressive for a kid with long arms like him. He packs a good punch off the line, but he obviously needs to add some bulk so he can make his body match his demeanor. He also has offers from Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, among others.

Philadelphia (PA) William Penn Charter offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey got an offer from the Wolverines. He's 6'9" and 280 lbs. with offers from Maryland, Rutgers, Wisconsin, and a few others.

Pittsburgh (PA) Seton-La Salle tight end Scott Orndorff was offered by Michigan, despite having committed to Wisconsin last August. He's 6'5" and 240 lbs. but other information on him is limited. However, offensive coordinator Paul Chryst's departure for Pittsburgh, along with other staff changes, have opened the door for some other schools to perhaps snatch him away from the Badgers.

Cordova (TN) St. Benedict running back Jordan Wilkins was offered by Michigan on Wednesday. He's a 6'1", 193 lb. tailback who has offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt, among others. He's the #238 player in the country, according to 247 Sports. Wilkins carried the ball 196 times for 1,546 yards (7.9 yards per carry) and 18 touchdowns. He also had 17 catches for 162 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus one touchdown each on punt returns and kick returns.

OFF THE BOARD
Olney (MD) Good Counsel wide receiver Stefon Diggs, a 2012 prospect, committed to Maryland. He's a 5-star recruit, Maryland's first such prospect since 2007 (Bruce Campbell). Many experts expected Diggs to choose the Florida Gators, but the buzz around Maryland picked up a couple days before his Friday night announcement.

Sandy Creek (GA) Sandy Creek cornerback Shaquille Wiggins committed to Georgia. Michigan was an early leader and he even hinted that he wanted to commit when he made an unofficial visit to Ann Arbor late in the season, but that sentiment wore off pretty quickly. He even fell in love with the University of Virginia, too, before getting offered by the home state Bulldogs in late January.

I think Wyatt Shallman, Jaron Dukes, Kevin Gladney, and Laquon Treadwell are the most likely candidates to commit. I think Michigan will get a second running back, but for some reason, I doubt it's a kid that Michigan has already offered.